


Out for Blood

by Parsl3y



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Doctor Law, Dressrosa Arc, Law is not a pirate, M/M, Slow Burn, everything else is the same, sexy stuff may happen later, thats the only thing that's different
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-02 14:15:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16788577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Parsl3y/pseuds/Parsl3y
Summary: While quietly researching one night, local doctor Trafalgar Law’s home is broken into by a feverish pirate. Adventure ensues.





	1. Chapter 1

Trafalgar Law was good at what he did. This was neither a boast nor an exaggeration, simply a statement of fact. One might say he was even exceptional―a bonafide medical prodigy, the likes of which hadn’t been seen for centuries. Law prefered to think that he was just well prepared. As the only doctor on Swallow Island, he had to be.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to prepare for situations like this.

“Hello,” he said, calmly, to the young man who had just smashed open his reinforced steel front door. With his fist.

The individual in question was hunched over, heaving breaths visible in the freezing air. Curious despite himself, Law sat up in his chair, setting down the pencil he had been using to take notes from an old medical journal. The young man’s head jerked upright, showing off black, feverish eyes.

“You…” began the boy, tone nasally as he spoke between pants. “You’re a doctor?”

Law fought the inclination to go to the boy’s aid, reminding himself that his home had just been torn apart in the middle of a snowstorm by a complete stranger with a ridiculous amount of strength. Instead, he took the time to study his intruder, taking in the dark mess of hair, flushed skin, and the coat haphazardly thrown on. He glanced back at dark, intense eyes.

“That depends on who’s asking.”

The boy’s brows furrowed, his shoulders trembling―from fever or from cold, Law didn’t know. Probably both. “Does that mean yes?”

Law frowned. “It means―”

“Look, I’m really in a hurry,” interrupted the young man, who was beginning to look panicked even in his clearly unwell state, his eyes glassy and face flushed with fever. He clasped his hands in his hair, pulling several strands loose as he spoke next, “My whole crew is really sick and this old guy said a doctor lived here somewhere but nobody is telling me  _ where _ and if you’re not a doctor I don’t know where else to go because this is the last house on the island and Chopper isn’t waking up and all my friends are going to DIE!”

The last word ended in a sob as the boy collapsed to his knees with a big, watery howl. His hands moved to cover his face as he curled into a ball, sobbing harder and harder with each passing moment.

Law watched the display with his chin propped against his hand, brow raised. It didn’t surprise him that the villagers in the town nearby wouldn’t tell a stranger where he lived―they knew he appreciated his privacy and they’d all been kind to him over the years. Even as a teenager, when he’d grown nasty from loss and pain, they had all been accepting. It was part of the reason he stayed to become a doctor.

Law was jerked from his musings when the kid started slamming his head against the wooden floorboards. Once they began to splinter and darken with blood, Law jumped to his feet.

“Ok, that’s enough,” he said, walking over to the sobbing stranger. “You’re going to make a dent in my floor.”

He attempted to peel the boy up from off the ground where he was stuck like a limpet, but the kid resisted, curling up into himself, wailing louder, and slamming his head down once more for good measure. Rolling his eyes at the display, Law tried again, pulling the arms of the boy up and away from his face and tugging him upwards. When the kid no longer struggled against him, Law released the twiggy arms in his grip, moving to step away.

Only the young man latched onto  _ Law _ instead, wrapping disturbingly flexible arms around his legs. Three times.

“You’re a devil fruit user,” Law mused aloud, struggling to keep his balance as the rubber-like arms tightened around him. And a pirate, he added mentally, remembering the boys earlier words.

Though he’d had...bad experiences with pirates in the past, Law wasn’t one to transfer his grudges onto other people. Particularly ones that needed his help. Even if the mentioned individual broke down his door in below freezing temperatures.

“ _ Please, help me _ ,” spoke a muffled voice against his pant leg, the dampness from the boy’s wet face seeping into the fabric. “ _ I’ve been looking for hours _ .”

Hippocratic oath or not, the sight was a miserable one, and if Law, in his sleep-deprived mind, had any sort of feelings left to give, he might pity the poor bastard. As it was, he only felt the slightest hint of disgust at the snot smearing his pants.

Still, he  _ was _ a doctor.

“Okay,” he said, sighing, somehow knowing he would regret the whole thing.

The kid’s head jerked up, blubbering, “Really?” He sniffled loudly, attempted to smile through his tears. “You’re a good guy.”

Law tried shaking him off, but with both legs captured there was little he could do without falling over―he opted to shove at the smiling face instead, but that proved equally fruitless as the boy’s neck simply stretched with the pressure. “You don’t even know me,” Law grunted.

“ _ You’re a good guy! _ ” the kid repeated, words obscured by Law’s hand. “You’re a― _ eugh.. _ .”

The boy suddenly dropped to the floor in a tangled slump, shivering and groaning in feverish delirium. Law marveled at how he’d made it this far. Given his condition he shouldn’t be able to move without falling over―and yet he’d said he’d been out for hours. Crouching down beside the kid, Law checked his temperature with the palm of his hand, feeling a fever.

“ _ Room _ ,” Law murmured, allowing his power to burst forth from his palm and surround them both. “ _ Scan _ .”

Almost immediately he spotted and diagnosed the problem, but he continued to search regardless, in case there were further issues. He felt his shoulders relax at the familiar process, finding normalcy in the methodical search of each organ for disease, every blood vessel for corruption. Getting back into something akin to a routine felt good after the whirlwind of events that had just occurred. Even better, his patient was unconscious so he didn’t have to make small talk.

Once done, he lowered his hands and, distantly, took the time to observe the boy’s face. It was a bit of a mystery as to how old he was―he had the type of face that could be anywhere from sixteen to twenty-five―though the tears running down his cheeks definitely made him seem younger. There was also something...familiar about him, something that Law couldn’t quite place.

Shaking his head, Law decided it didn’t matter, the last thing he needed was to get caught up in whatever mess this guy was in. He’d heal him―maybe even his friends―and be on his way as usual.

Just as Law was releasing his  _ room,  _ the boy jerked upright, awake. He looked around frantically, his head turning every which way, until his eyes finally landed, wide-eyed, on Law.

Figuring he just wanted to know what was wrong with him, Law opened his mouth to explain, “You have― _ hh!” _

Law’s diagnosis was cut short as he was grabbed by the collar and jerked down close to the pirate’s face, his hands landing on either side of the boy’s hips.

“Where am I?  _ Where are my friends!? _ ” the boy snarled.

Great.

Law tried to pull away from the titanium grip, but it was useless―even in his weakened state the guy was ridiculously strong. Law found himself tempted to  _ shambles  _ Kikoku from the closet so he could slice this bastards arms off until he got better―or forever, depending on how disagreeable a patient he was going to be.

“Listen―Hey! Stop pulling and  _ listen to me!” _ The pirate glared, but stopped tugging at Law’s shirt. “Ten minutes ago you punched through my door, demanded I go heal your friends, and wiped your snot-nosed face all over me―No, shut up, I’m not done―When I agreed to help you, you passed out. That’s literally everything that happened.  _ I’m  _ not the bad guy here.”

“Really?” The boy frowned, releasing his grip on Law’s collar. “Why can’t I remember?”

“As I was saying,” Law began, righting his clothes. “You have a bad case of the flu. I suspect all your crewmates do considering how closely pirates cohabitate with one another.”

“How close we―?” the boy shook his head. “Nevermind. You need to come with me.”

Law watched in surprised as the still feverish stranger rose to his feet, shaking out his limbs.

“You’re in no condition to go anywhere,” he cautioned.

He was, of course, completely ignored as the boy threw own arm across the length of Law’s house, stretching until it grabbed edge of the open doorway. He then reached out and wrapped the other around Law’s waist―tugging him close enough that Law felt the melted snow of the others jacket seeping through his clothes.

Alarmed, Law attempted to push the boy away. “Wait, what are you―”

But it was too late, they were already slingshotting through the freezing night air, catapulting into a starry sky that was riddled with dancing, stinging snowflakes. Law would’ve liked to have said he’d been stoic throughout the entire ordeal, but he distinctly remembered yelling out every bit of profanity in his arsonal as they tore through the sky.

They landed first in a meadow, hitting the ground hard and rolling together in a violent burst of snow. The first thing that registered beyond how sheer  _ fucking cold  _ it was, was that the boy’s arm was still wrapped tightly around Law’s waist, and no matter who much Law struggled against it, the other wouldn’t let go. Beside him, the pirate was breathing heavy, shivering once more now that he was in the cold, though Law could honestly say that he felt absolutely no sympathy for him. Any pity had all but disappeared as soon as he’d been forcefully  _ slingshotted _ from his home.

“ _ What the fuck was that!? _ ” Law spat when he finally had the breath to do so. “I swear to god if you don’t let me go, I will physically  _ remove you heart from your body _ .”

But the boy wasn’t paying attention to him, and Law could only watch with dawning horror as he once more gritted his teeth and stood. He pulled back his arm and shot it forward, allowing it to stretch with the force of the momentum...

“Don’t you d―”

...and send them flying through air once more.

Clenching his own teeth against the cold, Law felt the stinging of the snow bite against his cheek, the only warmth coming from the feverish boy holding onto him―which he refused to be grateful for.

Three more times they landed, each in a stumbling heap, the boy barely conscious but stubborn enough to send them flying into the air time and time again.

“Almost there,” he panted to himself once, in between one of their flights, his words slurred and eyes halfway closed. Law was just about to ask where “there” was, only to be jerked into the sky once again.

As if in answer to his unspoken question, an orange ship appeared in the distance, barely visible under the waning moon, growing larger and larger as they rapidly fell towards it. And unless they slowed down, it would be their final destination in more ways than one.

And they weren’t slowing down.

Law knew without turning that his patient had already passed out, could feel it in the way the grip around his waist was loosening. He’d finally used up his supply of monstrous willpower and succumbed to his own sickness―in the middle of the air.

Fucking typical.

Grumbling to himself, Law wrapping his own arms around the trembling boy, yelling out into the cold night air, “ _ ROOM!” _

His voice whipped by so fast he never even heard it, but he could feel the words activate his ability. Squinting against the icy wind that numbed his outstretched fingers, he spotted a speck on the ship that looked like it might be a barrel. Good enough.

With a flick of his wrist and a hissed “ _ shambles”  _ they switched places with the barrel and landed in a pile of snow on the deck of the ship―much softer than any of the other landings they’d had.

Shivering― _ because he didn’t have a coat on _ ―Law pushed himself upright, shaking the snow out of his hair and brushing it off his shoulders.  _ Bloody pirates,  _ he thought mutinously _. _

As if the world wanted to prove his point, he looked up and found a silver blade pointed at his face. Looking past it to its owner, Law spotted a one-eyed swordsman with green hair. He was staring down his nose at Law, a calm but threatening glint in his eye.

But Law had already had quite enough of being threatened for one day. He pointedly shoved the pirate off his lap and into the snow, ignoring the sword pointed at him.

“You’re part of his crew, I presume?”

“And who might you be?” the swordsmen asked silkily.

“A doctor,” Law said, pushing himself to his feet and patting his hands free of snow. “Do you have an infirmary somewhere on the ship?”

“A doctor?” the swordsman repeated, skeptical, though he did sheath his sword. “But you have,” he waved a hand over his own chest and hands, “tattoos.”

Law just stared at him. “Do you have an infirmary or not.”

Wordlessly, the swordsman nodded towards the cabin door.

Several moments went by as Law waited for the other to pick up his captain, maybe show Law where precisely the infirmary was―to do literally anything besides just standing there―but the swordsman simply stared at him, sizing him up, hand still on the handle of his sword.

Finally, freezing cold and losing his patience, Law asked, “ _ Well? _ Are you going to carry him inside?”

Humour danced behind the swordsman’s eyes, like a hidden joke he wasn’t about to share with the class. “Then who would make sure you’re behaving yourself, _ doctor? _ ”

Law stared at him, incredulous. He was almost as bad as his captain.

_ Whatever.  _ He was too tired to deal with this cryptic shit.

He could feel eyes on him as he went to pick up the boy, but he ignored them, too weary to care about anything but getting this job done and going home. Wordlessly, he wrapped one arm around the boy’s waist and the other under his legs as he lifted him up out of the snow.

Almost immediately warm, rubber arms wrapped around him, squeezing out all air in his lungs.

A laugh sounded, and Law turned back to the green-haired swordsman. “Did I not mention? He’s clingy.”

Law considered himself a fairly intellectual individual, but he honestly could not figure out the man grinning before him.

“If you’re going to be like that, will you at least open the door?” he deadpanned.

Still snickering at his own joke, the swordsman walked into the ships cabin with Law following closely behind, wrapped tightly in pirate captain arms. If he ignored the fevered breaths against his neck and the violent trembling, it wasn’t so bad. At least it was warm.

When they reach the infirmary, Law was first surprised by how well stocked it was. His second thought went to the fact that it was filled with a colourful cast of characters, all sleeping fitfully. Carefully, he stepped into the sick room, his nose filling with the scent of antibiotics and sweat.

“Is this all of them?” Law asked.

“All except me. I don’t get sick.” The swordsman sounded quite pleased by this fact.

“Congratulations,” Law muttered, distracted as he forcefully pulled the rubber boy’s arms off him. It took some time, but eventually he succeeded in untangling himself. Slapping aside lingering hands that grabbed at his pant leg, Law turned and got to work.

He set up a  _ room _ quietly, and proceeded to  _ scan  _ each member of the crew―noticing the same thing he had with their captain. Each member had a bad case of the flu, and Law was growing more and more disgruntled over the fact that he was pulled from his home for something that could have been treated by waiting several days for it to pass. Even the skeleton, for some reason, had the flu.

As he reached the last member―a reindeer, probably from the mink tribe―he asked aloud, “Who is your doctor?”

“That’d be Chopper,” said the voice behind him. “You’re looking at him now. He was the first to get sick, just kind of passed out one day.”

Law frowned at this. “He should have noticed his own symptoms.”

“There weren’t any. He was fine one minute, down the next.”

Curious, Law  _ scanned _ the Chopper and immediately noticed a different situation. Though he was producing flu-like symptoms, he found no traces of the virus that was infecting the rest of the crew. Instead he found traces of a tick bite―one native to North Blue. Usually it’s bite was obvious, characterized by a round, blue bullseye on the flesh, and could then be treated. Unfortunately, given Chopper’s fur, it would have been impossible to diagnose.

Grudgingly, he amended his previous thought―it was a good thing he was here, loathe as he was to admit it, otherwise the bite could have proved fatal.

“I know what’s wrong with your crewmates,” Law said, standing up. “You might want to step outside.”

The swordsman, as Law had expected, scoffed at him. “I’m not leaving some creepy looking guy like you alone with this crew.”

Law shrugged. “Fair enough.”

He expanded his  _ room  _ to the entirety of Swallow Island, searching throughout until locating his own home and, within it, Kikoku. Sending away a roll of bandages, Law spoke a quiet “ _ shambles”  _ and brought the sword to his hand. He ignored the choking noises coming from the swordsman and reduced the size of his  _ room.  _ Closing his eyes, he started slicing.

Almost immediately he heard the familiar sound of several swords leaving their sheaths, but before the swordsman could slice his neck, Law added him to the equation―chopping up his body parts so they floated around with the rest.

Smirking to himself at the horrified screaming, Law got to work pulling the disease from his patients, cleansing each and every molecule until it was the picture of health.

…..

“They’ll still feel residual symptoms,” Law explained to the frazzled looking swordsman, pulling on the coat he stole from the ship’s captain. It was tight around the shoulders but it would have to do. “But they should be gone by tomorrow.”

“Luffy won’t like that you stole his coat.”

After what he’d been put through,  _ Luffy _ could go fuck himself. Of course, Law couldn’t say that in front of what he assumed to be the boy’s―Luffy’s―first mate. Instead, he offered a dry smile. “Consider it payment for healing his crew.”

Normally he would charge a greater fee, but Law would pay  _ much _ more in order to never see this godforsaken crew again.

Without offering a goodbye, Law  _ shamble _ d off the boat and, too tired to transport himself back to his house, began the long trek home through the snow.

By the time he got back it was near morning, and he barely had enough energy to step inside over his broken door, pull off his clothes, and collapse into bed.

…..

Law woke to a loud banging. It echoed throughout the house, bouncing off the walls and directly into his ear, reverberating through his mind and worsening the headache already tightening around his brain. Groaning, Law remained where he was for several, long moments, willing the noise to be nothing but his imagination. Eventually, as the noise persisted, he grudgingly opened his eyes.

Luffy stared back down at him, grinning widely.

“You’re awake!” he cried, his voice still slightly nasally despite his flu symptoms being gone. “I’m getting Franky to fix your door. Surprise!”

Slowly, Law pushed himself up in bed, noting that Luffy had made himself home on the mattress as well. He rubbed his face, already regretting waking up. “Who?”

“My shipwright!

The knowledge went in one ear and out the other, weary as he was, but he nodded anyway. His head pounded from a lack of sleep, and everything in him ached to go back to bed. When he removed his hands from his face and turned to Luffy, presumably to tell him to fuck off and let him sleep, he froze.

Sitting above that dark mess of hair was an unassuming straw hat―one that had been missing the night before. It was well worn, fraying at the edges, and the red ribbon which wrapped around the head piece was stained and faded―the brim coated with a thin layer of melting snow.

Law’s eyes returned to inky, black ones as suddenly everything clicked into place. He wanted to kick himself for not realizing sooner.

Monkey D. Luffy.

He was aware of the name as much as anyone was, knew of his feats two years ago at Enies Lobby, at Marine ford―at countless others. In a distant, academic sort of way, the “D” in Luffy’s name had always intrigued him, and perhaps unconsciously he had followed Luffy’s journey because of it.

What was it Cora-san had said about the will of “D”?

The body next time him shuffled closer and Law immediately tensed, turning back to find Luffy unnervingly close.

“...Yes?”

“So, I never got your name,” Luffy said, grinning crookedly. “I’m Luffy!”

“I know,” Law responded, shoving aside his covers and twisting his legs off the bed. Before rising to his feet, he turned back to Luffy, quitely stating, “And It’s Law. Trafalgar Law.”

Kicking aside Luffy’s coat that he’d stolen last night, still damp with snow, Law leaned down to grab his jeans from yesterday, quickly pulling them on before grabbing a clean shirt from the hamper. As he pulled it over his head he could hear Luffy muttering behind him, fumbling his name. “Tra―...Trafal―...Hey, Torao!”

Ignoring the voice, Law stumbled out of his room and into the hallway. As he passed the entryway, he offered a quick nod to the outrageous looking cyborg hammering at his front door―receiving an exuberant thumbs up for his troubles.

Deciding coffee was needed before any sort of conversation took place, Law then sidled into his small kitchen. Rifling through the cupboards, he picked out a filter, coffee grounds, and a mug. Methodically, he began the process of making coffee―sticking the filter in the machine, pouring in the grounds and water, flicking the “on” button.

At some point Luffy had come up beside him, hands on the counter as he leaned close to see what Law was doing.

“Are you gonna make some food?”

“I don’t eat breakfast,” Law answered, staring at the dripping coffee, tapping his fingers on the counter.

This was obviously a sacrilegious statement as Luffy stared at him slack-jawed. “But that means you only get five meals a day!”

Law made a face and turned to Luffy. “Mugiwara-ya, how much exactly do you eat?”

“Whatever Sanji lets me,” he said happily, then he frowned. “You say my name funny.”

“You say mine funny too.”

“Luffy!” a voice called suddenly from behind, causing them both to turn around. “Get out of the kitchen, you know the rules!”

A ginger-haired girl marched into the kitchen and grabbed Luffy by the ear. She shot an apologetic look at Law as she pulled Luffy back the way she came. “I’m so sorry, he doesn’t have any manners. Luffy,  _ come on! _ ”

“But I’m talking to Torao!”

Like a mother to her child, the girl hushed Luffy and deftly herded him out the kitchen in a way that spoke of years of experience. Just as they were leaving, Law heard her say, reassuringly, “Sanji’s cooking breakfast, so just sit down in the main room and wait.”

“What…” Law could only stare in dawning horror as he heard more voices come from the front of the house. Abandoning his coffee, Law followed the redhead only to find his entryway full of Strawhat pirates.

“Nami~! I bought groceries!” spouted the flashy one with blonde hair―though, granted, they were all a bit flashy in their own way. Behind him stood a long-nosed kid with curly hair, arms full of bags―presumably the mentioned food.

He grumbled. “ _ I  _ carried most of it.”

The swordsman from the night before was there too, leaning against the wall. “Can we get some food going, already? I haven’t eaten yet.”

“The hell’d you just say to me asshole?”

“I told you to do your job, dumbass.”

The red-head snapped loudly. “Okay, no fighting, you two. You’re making a bad first impression.”

There were others too, all of whom he’d treated the night before, less noisy and therefore slightly more subtle―a woman with dark hair, a skeleton, a samurai, a young boy, and―

There was a small tap against his pant leg. Law looked down just as the reindeer disappeared out of sight―or, rather, almost out of sight. Instead, he leaned outward beside a wall, hiding just half his face.

“Thank you for healing my crew!” he all but shouted, eyes squeezed shut as his little arms trembled. The room around them went quiet.

“Hey, it’s  _ my _ crew―!”

“ _ Shut up, Luffy! _ ”

Ignoring the outbursts behind him, the reindeer continued. “I―I failed as a doctor and my crew was sick and, in my place, you saved them. So  _ th-thank you! _ ”

Uncomfortable as he faced the blubbering face of the child in front of him, Law spared a glance up at the rest of the crew, all whom were staring at him intently―either earnestly or threateningly. Suddenly aware of the fact that he might be seriously wounded should he answer wrongly, saviour or not, Law turned back to the sniveling reindeer.

He cleared his throat, feeling awkward. “Look...if I didn’t have... certain abilities, I wouldn’t have been able to heal you or your crew. The disease you contracted was, with your fur, untraceable and therefore untreatable. You didn’t fail them...Chopper-ya, was it? And if it makes you feel better, they wouldn’t have died without you―while you had a deadly disease, they just had the flu.” He paused, then added, hoping it would help, “I like your infirmary.”

This seemed to be news to Chopper. “But we shared the same symptoms!”

“Yes,” Law agreed. “But not the same diagnosis.”

“But how could you know? And how did you treat them? There’s no cure for the flu!”

Did the swordsman not tell him? Looking over, Law noticed that the man in question was very purposefully looking away, arms folded.

He turned back to Chopper, brow raised. “...Shall I show you?”

At the sparkle in the young doctor’s eyes, the answer was an emphatic yes.

………...

Chopper, Law decided, was delightful.

He had an extensive knowledge of salves and antidotes, excelling in both topical treatments and chemical potions. He delighted in everything Law had to say about the medical world, and was especially curious about Law’s devil fruit power, asking about his  _ room  _ and  _ scan  _ abilities, about what affects they might have on his health should he overuse them.

It was nice to talk to another doctor for once, especially one as enthusiastic as Chopper. Not since he’d come back to the island from medical school had he been able to discuss in person his practice.

After mentioning his two years away from the crew―for reasons that Law could guess, but that the reindeer never alluded to―Chopper began to recount his most recent patients. He went into detail about the chosen treatments for various oversized children with a severe addiction to some sort “candy”.

“It acted, as you might expect, very similar to an opioid. I imagine your ability would have been a  _ huge _ help, but without it Caesar’s poison―”

Luffy, who had been slowly inching closer the entire time, took this opportunity to push his face into the little circle they had made in the corner of the room.

“Are you guys talking about Caesar? Cuz I totally kicked his butt! He was a  _ huuge  _ loser and I punched him so hard he flew into the ocean.” Luffy made a punching motion worryingly close to Law’s head. “I kinda wonder if he ever got back out, though―he said something about some Joker guy coming after us but―”

Law, who had been about to politely ask Luffy to leave them the fuck alone, suddenly went still. Joker―the name entered his mind unbidden, scraping through his brain like a jagged stone, leaving bleeding wounds as memories resurfaced unbidden.

“Law?” Chopper prompted, surprising Law out of his reverie, and he looked up to see concern on the other doctors face.

“Do you know something about Joker?” asked the dark haired woman in the corner.

“Yes, actually,” he said, numbly. Law wasn’t sure why he admitted it. Maybe because he was so shocked at hearing the name―it had been a long time since he’d heard it spoken outside of his nightmares.

“Really?” Luffy asked. “Is he strong?”

“Yes,” answered Law, simply.

“Who is he?” This from the long-nosed boy, trepidation in his tone.

“His real name is Donquixote Doflamingo.”

“The warlord?” asked the dark-haired woman, a frown on her face.

Law nodded, though his eyes never left Luffy.

“If this Ceasar is correct, he will be coming for you. What are you going to do?”

“I’m gonna kick his butt, too!” Luffy punched the air with his fist.

As Law watched him, he realized that it wasn’t a hard decision, not when he thought about it. Not when it had been a desire that stirred inside him from the beginning, one that left him restless and awake night after night. And, maybe, the will of “D” could work one more miracle.

“I’m coming with you.”  
  



	2. Chapter 2

The words slipped out without much thought or reason―no prior plans or strategy had gone through his mind, no thought even to what he might leave behind should things go awry. Despite this, Law refused to take them back. He'd been given a unique opportunity in the form of Luffy, a glimmer of hope that he firmly intended to grasp with both hands.

Luffy's response to Law's request, however, was lukewarm at best.

The kid scrunched up his face, nose wrinkled and lips pursing. "Look, I think you're a nice guy and all, but we already have Chopper."

Law stared at him for a moment, uncomprehending―wondering what the hell that had to do with anything. Then, upon realizing what Luffy meant, fought the urge to roll his eyes. _For the love of―_

"I'm not trying to be apart of your crew," Law snapped, impatient. Then, sighing, he explained more carefully, "I have too many people to take care of as it is. All I want to do is help you defeat Doflamingo."

"And to do that you need to be there?" said the swordsman from across the room, currently leaning against the far wall, head tilted back and eyes closed. "Look, I'll go along with whatever you want, Captain, but bringing aboard every civilian who asks isn't exactly the smartest move. Especially if a warlord is on our tail."

"I'd hardly call myself _a civilian_."

" _Crazy_ is what you are."

" _Zoro!"_ admonished the red-head.

"Zoro does bring up a good point, though," this from the dark haired woman. "Can't you just tell us the information you know on Doflamingo?"

"I could," Law allowed. "I don't want to."

"For what reason?"

"My own."

A hoof clasped his shirt then, tugging his attention back towards Chopper.

"What if you get hurt?" asked the reindeer, a concerned frown on his face. "These people rely on you."

Law frowned down at Chopper, who had brought up the one reason why he might refuse himself this revenge. That, and―

" _Law!_ Law, you hang in there buddy, we're comin' for ya!"

" _Don't you die, boss!_ "

Law turned just in time to see Franky pull open the door―allowing Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo to fall through the opening, fists raised and swords brandished. Bepo tripped over his feet, falling to the ground before hastily pushing himself upright again.

"Law!" he called when he saw him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Shachi eyed the Strawhat pirates, all of whom appeared more or less amused by the sudden encounter, before looking back at Law. "Folks were saying the pirates all came to your house so we got here as fast as we could."

"A _BEAR!_ " yelled Luffy, grabbing onto Law's arm and shaking it. "You didn't tell me you knew a _bear!_ "

Law tried to shove Luffy aside, but the other boy simply wrapped his long arms around Law twice and continued to yammer on about Bepo. It was an unpleasant reminder of the night before―of how he'd been wrapped in feverish arms and flung from one snow heap to another. He fought a shudder and pushed the unpleasant memory from his mind to focus on the present.

"They just needed help healing their doctor," Law reassured, even as he struggled to push Luffy away from him. "They'll be gone soon."

"Actually, that's not exactly true," Franky said. Having finished fixing the front door he stepped into the semi-circle the pirates had created in Law's foyer. "After everyone got sick we hit a pretty bad storm. It blew us off course straight out of the New World and damaged the ship―it'll take awhile to make repairs." He snorted. "You shoulda seen Nami's face when she found out we were all the way in North Blue."

Nami brushed her hair back behind her shoulder. "Yes, well, Zoro _was_ the only one to direct the ship. I suppose we should be happy we're not back in East Blue."

"Hey, I found an island, didn't I?"

" _Barely_."

Law tuned them out as they continued to bicker, focusing instead on the information that the cyborg had mentioned. If the Strawhats were more or less stranded on the island, it meant Law would have time to convince them to take him along on their ship.

He just had one problem.

His eyes drifted to Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin who looked confused as the Strawhats attempted to converse with them―unused to positive interactions with pirates.

_They_ were the real wrench in Law's plan. If anyone had earned his loyalty over the years it was them, and if they asked him to stay, he wasn't sure he could refuse. Bepo alone had earned that right nearly a thousand times over.

He'd have to find a way to tell them. Some way that was subtle and unalarming.

"Hey, so, if you don't want to be a pirate why do you want to come with us to fight Doffy?"

Fuck.

Law looked up, making eye contact with Bepo, catching the exact moment that realization appeared in the mink's eyes. "Doffy?" he said, taking a step back. " _Doflamingo?_ Oh, Law, tell me you're not..."

Law saw his face crumble and it nearly broke him. "Bepo―"

"No! I am _not_ going through this again with you!"

With that, the mink turned and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. The house rattled with the force of it, and several eyes shot to him, questioning.

"Oh, did you friend leave?" asked the man from the kitchen―Sanji? He walked into the main room carrying several plates of food in his hands. "Well, either way, the food's ready. Hey! No swords at the table."

Finally managing to tear free from Luffy's grip―slackened either by the shock of Bepo's departure or the announcement of food―Law stood and rushed to the door. He pulled it open, fighting against the suction created by the frosty wind, and slipped through.

It shut just as the words "Hey, can I eat yours if you're leaving?" slipped through.

Law squinted through the white flurry around him, spotted Bepo stomping through the snow in the distance. For the second time in so many days, he began trekking through the snow without a coat.

"Bepo!" he yelled into the storm.

"I'm not talking to you!" was the mutinous reply, his breath visible in the cold air.

"You're talking to me right now."

Bepo turned and glared. "I'm mad at you."

Law stopped when he reached the mink, arms folded to preserve warmth. "I realize."

"No you don't, or you wouldn't be trying to get back to that maniac!"

"I have to kill him, Bepo."

Bepo flung his arms in the air. "No, you don't! You have to forget him and stop letting him rule your life! I've watched you nearly kill yourself countless times over this guy."

"Bepo―"

"No! Every year for _years_ I watched you nearly drink yourself to death over him. You were obsessed. Remember five years ago? You had to _operate_ on yourself, Law."

"And it hasn't happened since."

"Because we keep it from you!"

"Do you really think you could keep me from something I wanted?" At Bepo's angry expression, Law quickly amended, hands raised placatingly. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry. You're right. The subject isn't exactly an easy one for me."

"Law, you need to let this go."

Law shook his head. "Not until he's dead."

"And will that change anything?"

"It has to."

Bepo rubbed his face. "And you think these Strawhats are going to help you with your revenge?"

"They might," Law said. "Either way, it's time for Doflamingo to die."

"So, what? You're just going to follow them around until Doflamingo attacks?"

Law shifted on his feet, the snow crunching under his heels. "There may be ways to expedite the process."

Bepo rolled his eyes. " _Of course_ there are."

"Given some incentive, they may decide that it's a good idea to go after Doflamingo themselves. Supposing, of course, Doflamingo doesn't attack them first...after some strings are pulled."

"And I assume you want to be there to pull those strings."

Law shrugged. "Naturally."

"And what are you going to do if they _don't_ take you?"

"I'll figure that out if it happens."

"Law...this isn't healthy."

"Nothing worth having ever is."

Bepo glared. "You're making plans again, aren't you?"

Law grinned.

The mink groaned. "I need to think about this―and that doesn't mean I approve!"

Knowing this meant he'd been forgiven, Law felt his shoulders relax. "Thank you."

"Oh, screw you!"

….

Law returned to his house to find the Strawhats gone, though remnants of their stay remained: the dining room chairs askew; the dishes cleaned and on the rack; the stained, cracked floorboards from Luffy's breakdown. There was also a plate of food on the table where Law usually sat, right next to his abandoned coffee.

"Torao!"

Law turned his head to find Luffy sitting on his desk, feet kicking back and forth. He gave a little wave.

"Mugiwara-ya," Law said, surprised. "What are you still doing here?"

"I figured we could do something!"

"Do something?" Law walked to the dining table, frowned down at the food, tapping his fingers against the wood.

"That's yours. Sanji said I couldn't eat it."

Humming in acknowledgment, Law decided to forgo the breakfast and reached instead for his coffee. Mug in hand, he walked over to his desk. "Help yourself. I won't tell him."

Luffy seemed tempted. "You're sure?"

Law picked up the chemistry formulas that he'd been studying the night before, scanned the page for the place he'd left off. "Mhm."

Not needing to be told twice, Luffy hopped off the desk and hurried over to the food as Law sat down and prepared to write. The sound of food being devoured echoed throughout the house, loud and obnoxious.

Law ignored it and took a sip of coffee, making a face when the cold liquid touched his lips. Swallowing it down anyway because he cared more for the caffeine than the drink itself, Law set to work.

Of course, less than five minutes later, Luffy walked over and hopped back up onto Law's desk.

"Whatcha doing?" he asked, wiping his face on his sleeve.

Law paused his writing to glance up at Luffy, stared hard at a random crumb on his chin, before looking back down at his work. "Taking notes."

"Huh. Sounds boring."

"Does it?"

Law was only half paying attention, his mind already drifting off elsewhere―thinking back to his conversation with Bepo and to the black, swirling vestiges of his past. His pen moved automatically on paper whilst he got lost in his memories―dark thoughts that reverberated through his mind in painful ricochets of blood and tears.

In his head, for the millionth time, Cora-san fell to the agonizing bang of gunshots.

" _I love you!"_

The cold, the pain, the muffled sounds of Doflamingo's voice as he slowly walked away from the body of his dead brother.

"Can we do something else now?" Luffy asked loudly, startling Law from his thoughts.

Law blinked down at his formulas and realized his last three calculations were incorrect. Sighing, he crossed them all out.

"I'm busy," Law said.

Which wasn't strictly true. He'd been thinking about Doflamingo, lost in visions of blood and pain and feathers. It was consuming him again. Bepo had been right to tell him to leave it, but this time he wasn't sure he could let it go. Not when the Strawhats had just entered the playing field.

But he didn't quite have them as a card in his hand.

Not yet, at least.

"But I'm boored," Luffy whined, kicking up his sandaled feet onto Law's lap.

Law promptly shoved them off.

"Then go bother someone else."

Luffy released a dramatic sigh, shoulders slouching. "But I want to hang out with _you_."

Law turned to Luffy, frowning. He took in the wet strands of his hair, the puffy jacket he had halfway unbuttoned, the healthy pink that still touched his cheeks from the cold outside, and the intense stare that was focused solely on Law.

Law imagined this was likely part of the reason why people found Luffy so charming. He had this insane ability to focus an enormous amount of his attention on one person at any given time. It was captivating, flattering, _intoxicating_.

It was also dangerous.

Idly tapping his pen against the table, Law considered what it must be like for those enthralled by Luffy to lose that attention.

Thankfully, Law had had his eyes opened by the snowbank incident and would never have to find out.

"You want to hang out with me," Law repeated, skeptical.

"Sure do."

"I'm not going to be doing anything exciting."

"Which is why you need me to fill your boring life with _fun stuff!_ " Luffy highlighted this point by kicking his feet up onto Law's lap again. "You want to come with us, but it's like you don't want to _do_ anything."

"Those two things have nothing to do with each other."

Even as he said this, Law had to admit that Luffy _did_ have a point. Law was trying to get the Strawhats to trust him―at least until they defeated Doflamingo―so it would be unwise to close himself off as he usually did with strangers. Clearly a different tactic was in order.

Like getting closer to their captain, perhaps.

Slowly, a plan formed in his mind.

Law, who had placed a hand on Luffy's legs to shove them off, paused.

It was a bit underhanded, and he could already imagine Bepo rolling his eyes at the idea, but if it worked―and he was fairly confident it would―then his temporary place aboard the Strawhats ship would be secured.

And with all the Strawhats currently out of his house, it was the best time to begin.

"Shall we go somewhere then?"

…..

The problem, Law realized somewhat belatedly, was that he had never tried to charm anyone in his life. Some people were just more likeable than others, and Law had never put much effort in putting himself in that category. He was an intellectual individual, however, and it couldn't be _that_ difficult. People made friends every day.

Either way, for the first time in a long while, Law felt out of his element.

He considered this now, as he watched Luffy look around the cave that Law had brought him to―the first isolated location he could think of―and failed to come up with anything charming that he could do.

"Neat!" Luffy shouted, making his voice echo around the cavern walls. "What is this place?"

Law looked away from Luffy to examine the cave around him, holding up the lantern he brought as he reached out to touch a nearby wall. He felt the numbing cold press against his fingers, experienced the light tug when he pulled away as the icy wall clung to his fingertips.

"These are the caves I used to play in as a child. They run all through the island. It's not much but―"

"It _is_ a little boring," Luffy agreed bluntly, though a grin was on his face. "Do you figure there might be treasure?"

Law blinked, caught off guard by the question. "If there is, it's pretty well hidden."

"Maybe you didn't look hard enough."

"Maybe," Law allowed, because he figured he probably shouldn't start this whole getting-Luffy-to-like-him thing by shooting down every illogical thing Luffy said. "The caves do go quite far into the mountain."

"We should look for it!" Luffy said, eyes going wide.

"For treasure?" Law asked, skeptical.

"Sure! C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Before Law could speak Luffy had grabbed his hand in his own, tangled their fingers together, and pulled him deeper into the cave. Law tripped over his feet as he tried to keep up.

"Hey!"

"Hurry up!" Luffy laughed.

It was in no way romantic―Law kept being pulled forward every time Luffy charged in a new direction―but the hand in his was warm, a stark difference from the frigid air that surrounded them. It was pleasant, in a sweaty, sticky sort of way. Vaguely, Law wondered when the last time Luffy washed his hands was.

Law would have liked to believe that he only allowed the touch because of his own ulterior motives, but he feared there was a much less sinister reason for the allowance. The thought made him stop walking, a frown on his face.

"Torao! Come _on!_ "

Luffy jerked on his arm.

"Okay, that's enough," Law snapped, bracing his feet so that the next time Luffy tugged on his arm he was able to pull back, jerking Luffy towards him instead of the other way around. He bounced harmlessly off his chest. "You can either walk normally or we're going back."

"Sorry," Luffy grinned, not sounding sorry at all. He did stop pulling, though, seemingly content to simply hold Law's hand as they walked through the caverns.

Law managed to tolerate the touch for about five more minutes—even happened to enjoy it in that time―but soon it became too much. So, while Luffy was distracted by a particularly large stalactite, Law quickly tugged his hand free, sticking it in his pocket before Luffy noticed and could take it back.

Thankfully, Luffy didn't seem too offended, simply continued to fill the silence with endless chatter about his crew, his interests, his dreams. Law walked beside him, silently listening.

"Man, we've walked pretty far."

Law looked up from the ground, blinked a moment at their surroundings. He frowned. "Actually, I'm not sure I know where we are―"

A loud _crack_ resounded throughout the cave, so loud it almost sounded like a gunshot, and Law barely had time to register Luffy's shocked expression before the captain fell through a hole in the ground.

In the ice, Law amended mentally, examining the clear cracks branching out from where Luffy fell through. Law took a step back, felt the ground beneath him groan in protest.

He hadn't heard a splash, so at least they wouldn't have to worry about water affecting their strength. Still, it wouldn't be good if he fell through too.

"Luffy?" he called cautiously. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good," said a Luffy's voice, much closer than Law had expected. "I think I'm slipping, though―yup, definitely slipping."

Law spotted the pink fingers clinging to the rim of ice.

"Okay, I'm going to lean over and grab your hand," Law began slowly, lowering the lantern down to the ground and creeping towards Luffy. He winced when the ice creaked. "Whatever you do, don't―"

Luffy jerked himself up out of the hole, grabbing blindly for anything only for his fingers to slip against the ice. As a result his flailing arms ended up latching onto Law's leg.

" _Son of a_ ―"

Law hit the ground hard, his back breaking through the ice as they both fell down into the darkness. As they dropped, Law felt hands climb up his body from his leg to wrap tightly around his torso.

" _Gomu Gomu no Balloon!_ "

The feeling of falling against a balloon of human flesh was both fascinating and mildly revolting and Law hoped he would never have to experience the sensation again. It was all encompassing for a single moment before Law was bounced off of Luffy and onto the cold hard ground―a shocking contrast to soft, warm, meat-scented skin.

Law pushed himself to his feet stiffly and, brushing off his knees, looked up at where they'd come. It was about a forty foot drop, into what must have once been an underwater reservoir. Above them was a ceiling of blue-tinged ice, the lantern a flickering yellow smudge beside the hole they'd fallen through.

"Dammit, no treasure here either," Luffy grumbled to Law's left.

Law ignored him, bending down to pick up a small piece of broken ice beside his foot. With a flick of his palm, he created a _Room_ , the blue operating sphere exploding out from his hand and up to the icy ceiling above. " _Shambles_."

The lantern appeared in his hand and he raised it high, squinting out into the darkness. "We have two options," Law told Luffy, turning to face him. "I can transport us back up to where we fell but on a more solid surface."

"Or?"

" _Or_ ," Law raised the light, brightening up a dark, winding corridor beside them, "we can keep going."

Luffy's head spun around, eyes lit up. "Treasure?"

Law's lips twitched upward, Luffy's excitement contagious. "If there is any, it'll be down here."

Luffy cheered, punching his fists up in the air as he charged into the unknown cave, whooping and hollering as his red coat disappeared into the darkness. Bats flew from the opening, screeching their displeasure as Luffy's distant yells echoed throughout.

Law followed at slower pace, ducking when an angry bat flew at him. Eventually Luffy reappeared, his bright jacket the first thing Law spotted as Luffy trotted back into the light. He grinned at Law as he slowed his pace, a healthy flush on his cheeks.

"This is fun," he said, walking now beside Law, arms swaying.

"So now that we almost killed ourselves, you're having fun?"

"And we're going down a _mystery_ tunnel!"

"Let's just hope there's no water at the end of it."

" _Mystery water_."

Law snorted, shaking his head. It was likely that at the end of the tunnel they _would_ find the remnants of the water reservoir, having been drained down for whatever reason, but Law didn't mention this. At least Luffy was enjoying himself.

"You know, my brothers and I used to do stuff like this."

"Oh?"

Law vaguely remembered reading in the paper about how Luffy had fought for his brother at Marineford, ultimately losing him at the battles end. He hadn't been aware of a second brother.

Luffy nodded, an almost wistful smile on his face. "Mhm. We looked for treasure, fought bandits―that kinda stuff."

"Sounds like fun."

"It was."

There was a brief moment of silence between them, the only sound the gentle crunch of the ground under their feet and the soft squeak of the swaying lantern. Then Law noticed Luffy turn to face him out of the corner of his eye.

"They're dead. My brothers."

Law made sure not to show his surprise on his face. The death of a loved one wasn't exactly a topic you discussed with someone you'd just met. Then again, Luffy wasn't like most people.

"That must be hard," he said carefully.

"Yeah." Luffy kicked at a rock with his feet―toes red from the cold. "I'm better now, though. My crew helps. It's just…" he sighed, "...sometimes it's hard to talk to them about it. _They_ feel bad that I feel bad, you know?"

Law nodded. The Strawhats felt guilty that they hadn't been there for their captain, and as a result Luffy put on a brave face. Beyond that, Luffy was obviously a person who felt very strongly about those he cared for―his actions that first night they met were a testament to this fact.

"You should try talking to them about it," Law said, thinking of his own friends and the trials they had gone through together. "It's not good to keep things inside―they have a habit of building up."

"But they'll be sad."

"It's okay to be sad sometimes. Necessary, even."

"Then why does it hurt so bad?"

Law couldn't quite believe that he was having this conversation, walking through a cave in below freezing weather, no less. He shifted, uncomfortable.

"Look, Mugiwara-ya, I'm probably not the best person to talk about overcoming grief, but―"

Law broke off, his senses coming alive as something _strong_ appeared at the end of the cave.

"What is _that?_ " Luffy asked, the excitement mounting in his voice. He shot Law a glance, bouncing on his feet. "Do you figure it's tasty?"

"Tasty?" Law said, slowly backing away as loud snorts could be heard from the distance. "Is that the first thing you think of whenever you encounter anything new?"

"Pretty much."

The sound of hooves rang out, pounding loud against the earth in a rhythmic thud. The snorting grew louder, accompanied now be heaving grunts. Then, from the darkness, a large pig appeared, the size of the entire cavern, covered in thick, white fur. It looked angry too, breath heaving in visible bursts as it charged towards them.

Law shoved the lantern at Luffy, who barely caught it, and braced his feet.

" _Room!"_ he shouted, pulling out the small knife he'd brought with him. With it, he sliced at the air, mentally dissecting the animal before them. The giant pig immediately separated into several pieces, wheezing as it did so.

When Law looked back at Luffy, it was to find the captain gaping at him.

"You're _strong!_ " Luffy exclaimed.

Law smirked. "Who do you think fights all the idiot New World pirates who come to the island?"

"No kidding?"

"No kidding," Law said. Then, examining the quartered pig caught by his power, asked, "You hungry?"

Luffy gasped. "Always."

Burning the animal fat that Law had stripped and separated with his ability, they spent the rest of the afternoon cooking, eating, and gnawing on the bones of the pig.

And, despite looking in every nook and cranny, they never ended up finding any treasure―which Luffy sulked endlessly about on the way back to the house―but it hadn't been a bad outing, Law decided silently.

Not bad at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays!

**Author's Note:**

> I tried really hard to make everyone as in character as possible, which will continue to be my goal throughout the course of this fic BUT MAN, Law thinks way too much. Saying that, I'm still very new to these characters, so any input would be great!


End file.
